as in hijinks
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
their madcap buffoonery turned the duo into the nation's hottest comedy act
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of buffoonery
Certainly hope none of you will be complicit in this buffoonery.
—
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 23 May 2025
The quarterback with a rocket arm had moments of brilliance and moments of buffoonery.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 6 May 2025
His is a sort of erudite buffoonery that consistently tap-dances between clever, self-aware, and patently stupid.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
There is, in fact, real stagecraft along with the buffoonery.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buffoonery
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 23 May 2025
The quarterback with a rocket arm had moments of brilliance and moments of buffoonery.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 6 May 2025
His is a sort of erudite buffoonery that consistently tap-dances between clever, self-aware, and patently stupid.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
There is, in fact, real stagecraft along with the buffoonery.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buffoonery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buffoonery
Noun
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Finally, after plenty of clowning, Taylor Swift has revealed that her 12th album is on the way, titled The Life of a Showgirl.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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When Peanut pulled his second escape act, his owners knew where to look and handled Peanut's disappearance in a joking manner.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Multiple outlets that examined the reporting identified the claim as unverified and labeled the story a hoax; Colbert had previously made a joking on-air reference to streaming platforms but had not announced any deal with Netflix.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Rite of passage or midnight tomfoolery?—
Jake Allen,
IndyStar,
10 Sep. 2025
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Last year, in response to some political parodies that used images created by artificial intelligence, including one that pilloried Vice President Kamala Harris, the Legislature passed and Newsom signed two measures to outlaw such tomfoolery.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As for Abdul-Mateen, the clownery will resume for him on Broadway.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2022
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Tirhakah Love is a senior writer at New York Magazine and the host of the new evening newsletter Dinner Party, a daily email that touches on all things entertainment — that means film, television, music, tech, and gaming — plus politics and corporate clownery.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2022
Noun
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Butch Baker, who was Henry County sheriff until 2014, recalled an incident in which Bertram was accused of inappropriate horseplay at the community corrections office.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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The action anime feature for everyone who couldn’t get enough of the horseplay in The Two Towers has finally cantered onto Max.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The whole of humanity doesn’t fit tidily into three acts, even assuming as much frame-breaking foolery as Wilder allows.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2022
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Political pranking is traditionally thought of as benign foolery targeting the powerful.—
Stanislav Budnitsky,
The Conversation,
19 Apr. 2022
Noun
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The humor, much like its source material, tries to be as delightfully zany as possible, packed with slapstick gags for kids and sly meta jokes for parents.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Columbus thought the critical key in John’s contribution was somehow blending the film’s contrasting tones of slapstick, Three Stooges–esque comedy with its warm, Christmassy heart.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This is why researchers agree that intentional playfulness should be a priority.—
Mark Travers,
CNBC,
7 Sep. 2025
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But with all that being said, New Village Arts’ production is a likable, amusing and earnest staging with four ebullient actors directed with playfulness and energy by Desireé Clarke Miller.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Buffoonery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buffoonery. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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